Regional

7:21 pm

Fri July 24, 2009

Cleanin the Rio

Las Cruces, NM – A group of area residents, tired of seeing loads of trash in and around the Rio Grande, is spending most of tomorrow cleaning it up.

It's the second time the group spends several hours, armed with bags and supplies, removing tires and trash in an effort to save the Rio.

Phillip partridge is the founder of RiGo, which stands for individual owners of the Rio Grande.

Partridge says about forty people showed up last year to collect trash, "Pulled a couch out of the river there must have been about fifteen to twenty tires we had about fifty trash bags. The pile was probably twenty-five yards long by ten feet wide. You know, rivers are really the life blood for any civilization and so it's something that people should be really proud of here, just like people are proud of the beaches in California. Right here we have one of the best natural resources a river. It's absolutely beautiful. And in this one we're enjoying the river while we're cleaning it up."

The river clean-up event is scheduled to begin tomorrow at eight in the morning at the intersection of Paisano and McNutt roads.

Partridge says they invite anyone with a love for the Rio Grande and adds that they will provide supplies and bottled water.